It’s time for another Cub Scout meeting and you’re in need of Cub Scout ideas. With high-energy little boys, your craft ideas need to be fresh, hands-on and fun. At the same time, you want them to learn and grow. Where to go? What to do?

Since Cub Scouts follows monthly themes, the following suggestions include the month that would best fit the activity and a snack to tie it all together. However, you can adapt any of these Cub-Scout-friendly ideas to your own themes.

Get the boys together and have a memorable, fun-filled time!

A Plant Maze This Cub Scout idea is ideal for January’s “A-MAZE-ing Games” theme, but it can also be used for any plant-based Cub Scout theme. Best for individuals or pairs, a plant maze demonstrates how plants will tackle a maze to get to sunshine. For each individual Cub Scout or pair, you’ll need:

A small sprouting potato

Potting soil

A pot large enough to hold the potato but small enough to fit in a shoebox with the lid on

A shoebox

Various items to create a maze within the shoebox, such as blocks, spools from thread, short straws, etc.

Sharp scissors

The scouts begin by planting the sprouting potato, with the majority of the sprouts facing upward, in damp soil. Place the planted potato at one end of the shoebox. Cut a hole about the size of a quarter out of the other end of the shoebox. Build a maze between the plant and the hole. This doesn’t need to be a traditional maze, but rather obstacles for the plant to go under, over and around to get to the light coming from the hole. Put the lid on the box and store in well-lit place. Have the scouts check on their plants every three or four days and report their progress each meeting. For future mazes, you can try onions or lima beans.

Snack idea: Trail mix with a variety of seeds and nuts, including sunflowers, peanuts, almonds and potato sticks or crisps. Put out bowls of the various snacks and let the boys create their own baggie of trail mix rather than premixing everything.

ABC “Big Books” or Trifold BoardsIdeal for February’s American ABCs, “big books” or trifold boards are a Cub Scout craft idea that can keep scouts busy in groups or in pairs. For February’s American ABCs, your “big book” can carry an Americana theme. A trifold board, like the kind used in science-fair projects, offers a large canvas and works well with teams of scouts. A “big book” is a little smaller, but scouts can make them individually or in pairs. For more ideas and information about big books, check out the following site and download the big-book information sheet: tobinslab.com/downloads.aspx. Ideas and directions for mini books (which are created to be used inside the big books) can be found at squidoo.com/lapbooking.

To create the boards or books, divide alphabet letters evenly and assign them to each scout or team. For example, in a group of eight scouts, each would get three or four letters. The boys then come up with acronyms that begin with their letters and fit their theme. For tougher letters, such as “X,” allow them to use any word that simply includes that letter. They may need help with acronym ideas. Some examples for an American theme include:

A: American as Apple Pie

B: Boy Scouts or Baseball

R: Red, White and Blue

W: Washington, DC

Allow them to use descriptive phrases, places (cities and historical sites), anything that specifically represents America.

Using the big-book ideas or a trifold board, have them decorate and illustrate their acronyms to best reflect the ideas. Have plenty of colored paper, glue, markers and other creative elements on hand. Provide time for each of the scouts to present his big book or trifold creations to the troop. Contact your local library or children’s museum about displaying the projects.

Snack idea: Serve “ABC” treats such as alphabet cereal, Lucky Twist Pretzel Letters and Newman’s Own Organic Alphabet Cookies. Pretzel Letters can be purchased at World Market or ordered online at dereuzegourmetmarket.com/681135.html. Organic Alphabet Cookies are available at many organic food stores, or organicmall.com sells them for 10 percent off when you use the discount code “Newmans.” You could also bake alphabet cookies and let the scouts decorate them themselves as part of their activity. Partyworks.com and cookiecuttershop.com have inexpensive alphabet cookie cutters.

Fossil Making

Making fossils is fun for any band of Cub Scouts and ideally suits April’s Jurassic Park theme. Follow these simple steps for a group of ten scouts:

Divide the dough - Separate the dough into ten equal parts and allow the scouts to roll out or flatten the dough on wax paper. Smooth drinking glasses make excellent rolling pins.

Imprint the fossils - Allow each scout to imprint various items into his dough. Set the fossil prints aside or have the Cub Scouts take the projects home to dry for 24 hours.

For added adventure, hide the dried fossils in a wooded area or park and have the scouts hunt for them. Each boy can present the fossil he found and make up a story about what the fossil represents.

Snack idea: Jell-O dinosaur eggs look and taste fun. Use the Jell-O Easter egg mold and place a fruit dinosaur in the middle. Place the dinosaur egg in a nest of brown-and-green colored coconut or crunchy chow-mein noodles. The nests can be served in paper cupcake holders for easy clean up.

Jungle Masks

For an animal or jungle theme, such asOctober’s Jungle Safari, a great Cub Scout idea is to create masks of various jungle animals – elephants, lions, tigers and monkeys – and have your very own jungle parade.

Have scouts paint a large jungle backdrop with trees, vines, etc. and pose them all in front of it for a jungle picture. Easy mask templates can be found at freefunfings.com/masks/pages/animal.html and angelfire.com/dc/childsplay/masks.htm.

Snack idea: One idea from the Rainforest Action Network newsletter is “Monkey Shakes.” Blend papaya, orange juice and frozen banana pieces for a healthy and tasty shake. For a simpler snack, use plain animal crackers and let the boys decorate or dip them in sauces such as chocolate, butterscotch and raspberry.

Easy Decorated Stockings

This is a great Cub Scout craft idea when December rolls around.Emphasize the season of giving by having the scouts make large stockings and complete a “good work” at the same time. They can fill the stockings and take them to children at a homeless shelter.

Use a simple stocking pattern and have the boys trace the pattern onto red or green felt. Hole-punch around the outside and have them loop yarn, twine or ribbon through the holes. Be sure to put the holes close together to prevent losing goodies later. They can glue on sequins, glitter, buttons, etc for decorations. Other patterns, such as smaller Christmas trees and stars, offer them guidance. Definitely discuss the types of decorations that are appropriate so you don’t have a bunch of stockings with dinosaurs and guns on them! Stuff the stockings with everything from toothbrushes and crayons to candy and sweet treats brought by the scouts or acquired through local store donations.

Snack idea: Edible stockings can be created out of flatbread or tortillas. Precut two sides for each scout and let them stuff their “stockings” with meat, cheese and vegetables.

With these enjoyable Cub Scout ideas and yummy snacks, you’re sure to keep your scouts busy and happy. Whether they’re making masks, sharing stockings with homeless children or creating fossils, your Cub Scouts will have a great time working and playing together.

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